For the 12 NL All-Stars who have never played a game at Yankee Stadium, the responses drip with respectful historic footnotes, from Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson to Monument Park. They are glad they get a chance to see it before it goes away.

The 85-year-old stadium is retiring after this season, and that means its history overshadows everything about the All-Star Game. There are 32 regular-season games left at the "House That Ruth Built," and unless the Yankees make the postseason, the final game will be Sept. 21 vs. the Baltimore Orioles.

There have been 106 World Series games in the Bronx, and tonight will be the stadium's fourth All-Star Game (the others were 1939, 1960 and 1977).

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the only current franchise not to play a regular-season game in the Bronx.

Monument Park, which used to be in play, is behind the left-field fence and honors Yankees greats.

Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, whose team is managed by former Yankees manager Joe Torre, said the history can overwhelm but Torre had a tip: "He told me to make sure to see Monument Park," Martin said. "He told me that if I'm going to play in Yankee Stadium once, that is one place I'd better check out."

Brian Wilson, a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, was born in Winchester, Mass. Growing up a Boston Red Sox fan, he hated everything about Yankee Stadium. Now, his perspective is different.

"I used to always think about Red Sox-Yankees," Wilson said. "But I never paid any attention to who played for the Yankees, because all I wanted to do was win. Now, I understand the history. And I'd love to get a chance to pitch against the Yankees (Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez) in the game."

Pitcher Aaron Cook of the Colorado Rockies said it's going to be a thrill to play on the same field as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. He said getting rid of the awe is easier said than done.

"The history adds to this All-Star Game. It is fun that this is where a player's uniform number was determined by where he was in the batting order," Cook said, referring to Ruth being No. 3 and Lou Gehrig No. 4.

"Ruth was the greatest to ever play the game, and he got to pitch and hit," Brewers outfielder Corey Hart said. "Who doesn't think of Babe Ruth with Yankee Stadium?"

Well, maybe not Kosuke Fukudome of the Chicago Cubs. He grew up in Japan. "I hadn't heard a lot about it when I was growing up, so I don't have any specific impressions," he said.

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